Training

Training

Mermaids general training provision

Mermaids has trained professionals in the NHS, Police Service, Social Services, Schools, CAHMS and the workplace. We tailor all of our training to the specific needs and timeframes of each enquiry, if you are interested please get in touch by emailing us on training@mermaidsuk.org.uk or complete the contact form with a summary of numbers, location and a general overview of your current situation. For example, if you are a school supporting a child to transition, or an NHS trust, wishing to skill up key staff members with information and understanding of gender variance in children and young people.

We deliver training into companies to support HR departments and management to be supportive and understanding of the needs of trans employees and how to ensure that your policies and procedures are inclusive and supporting of diversity. Unconscious bias and discrimination is still prevalent, we can help you tackle this.

Department of Education HBT Project

Mermaids has supported many families and young people dealing with bullying and discrimination due to their gender identity. As part of that support, we deliver training into schools (as above) to help them understand the issues that children face and to give them the understanding and tools to both support those children and to tackle bullying in all forms. In addition to the training we offer as standard, we are also funded by the DfE until March 2019 to deliver training into 39 schools nationwide as part of a partnership of multiple organisations, through the LGBT Consortium. These schools have now been allocated. An overview of what this covers is below, and if your school would like to undertake a similar program, we can deliver this.

Purpose

The overall purpose is to reduce the number of incidents of HBT (homophobic, biphobic and transphobic) bullying in primary and secondary schools in England by transforming the culture of how schools prevent and respond to HBT bullying in a sustainable way.

Aims

The programme aims to do this in three main ways:

• To prevent HBT bullying from happening in the first place;

• To effectively respond to HBT bullying when it does occur;

• To create an inclusive school environment for LGBT pupils and families.

☎ HELPLINE: 0344 334 0550 (Monday - Friday; 9am - 9pm)

"I want to say that I am really grateful for today because it must have been really hard to tell us all about x’s past. Today I have learnt that it’s not right to be hurting people for who they want to be."

"I’ve found out how difficult it is for those people who have no support and who need all the help they can get. I hope you get all the help you need and I hope all of you and your kids end up with a happy life because you deserve it. You don’t need all this stress so good luck."